25 MAJOR MOVIES YOU’LL WANT TO SEE IN 2018

It certainly had its fair share of duds, but 2017 was a pretty impressive year, and 2018 looks to be potentially even more exciting. There are franchise starters, highly-anticipated sequels, and new works coming from some of the best filmmakers currently working in the industry. The entire year’s schedule is filled with titles that make the heart of the average cinephile beat a little faster.

Out of the multitudes of films heading to your local theaters, however, there are some blue chip prospects on which you definitely need to be keeping an eye. There are many you’ve probably already marked down on your personal calendar, but some of these titans might not be on your radar, as they’re coming out in the later half of the year. With that in mind, please enjoy the following rundown of the 25 films you’ll definitely want to catch in the next year. And if you want the full blast of what’s coming, check out our full 2018 release schedule.

Fifty Shades Freed – February 9

The Fifty Shades series has been sweeping its fans off of their feet for some time now, so the news that this February’s installment in the series is going to be the big finale might dismay some movie fans. But it looks like Anastasia and Christian’s happy ending is going to get a bit more complicated and dangerous than either of them could have guessed, as Fifty Shades Darker set up a common enemy for the happy couple. It might be the end, but it looks like the series will finish out with a bang.

Black Panther – February 16

After Captain America: Civil War, there were two new heroes folks were dying to see more of on the big screen: Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man and King T’Challa a.k.a. Black _Panther. With Parker’s adventures already coming to theaters in this past summer’s _Spider-Man: Homecoming, it’s now time for the new ruler of Wakanda to take the throne at the box office. Director Ryan Coogler is bringing mysticism, royal intrigue, and hot action and music beats to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and each new look at this flick looks better than the last.

Red Sparrow – March 2

While Fifty Shades of Grey’s trilogy may be wrapping up at the box office, a new three part epic of sexy danger is heading to theaters just in time to fill the void. In Red Sparrow, Jennifer Lawrence plays a foreign operative who’s trained to kill, but also to seduce. Her target is Joel Edgerton, a CIA operative whom she’s tasked with subverting with her particular set of skills. But, of course, she has second thoughts as she starts falling for him, and if the two subsequent novels have anything to say about it, things between the two won’t be easily settled by the end of this film.

A Wrinkle In Time – March 9

It’s kind of amazing that Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle In Time hasn’t already become a major motion picture trilogy already, considering the books have held such sway with sci-fi fans for decades. Thankfully, director Ava Duvernay has taken up the task, and has the first installment heading to theaters early in 2018. With a cast that includes newcomer Storm Reid playing adventurous lead Meg Murry, and an all-star supporting line-up that includes Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Resse Witherspoon, and Chris Pine, there’s a lot of firepower behind this film. Don’t be surprised if A Wrinkle In Time becomes a sleeper hit in its March release date.

Tomb Raider – March 16

Making a video game movie is similar to trying to hunt for ancient treasure: it’s dangerous, a lot of people are out to see you fail, and each obstacle is more perilous than the last. But Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider reboot looks like it takes after its video game equivalent, as it too dumps a lot of the ridiculous nature of the previous incarnation, and amps up the brave action in its place. Plus, how can you say no to Walton Goggins as a charismatic villain?

Pacific Rim: Uprising – March 23

The industry said it would never happen: that Pacific Rim would fall into the same bin as Hellboy and never be resurrected for one more ride. Well, the doubters have some humble pie to eat now, as not only does Pacific Rim: Uprisingexist, it looks like it’s poised to kick more Kaiju ass than its predecessor. With John Boyega, Cailee Spaeny, and Scott Eastwood all on board as a new trio of Jaeger jockeys, and some new and exciting abilities that some Kaiju have adapted since their last appearance, the apocalypse looks like it’s far from cancelled.

Ready Player One – March 30

There exists a phenomenon known as the “Spielberg Double Play”: a place in time in which legendary director Steven Spielberg cracks the bat twice in the span of a year, and delivers a prestige picture and a blockbuster at the same time. We’ve seen it before, and after The Post has excited critics and awards guilds all over this past month, Ready Player One will thrill audiences on a massive scale only four months later. Ernest Cline’s pop culture-fueled novel is the sort of thing the director excels at bringing to the screen, and with what’s been shown so far, it looks like we’re all in for a hell of a ride.

The New Mutants – April 13

Take the essence and rules of the X-Men universe, but sculpt it as a John Hughes-infused horror film. That’s what Josh Boone’s The New Mutants is aiming to do, as the latest spin-off from the X-Men franchise looks very experimental as a comic book movie. With the help of Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton, Game Of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, and Split’s Anya-Taylor Joy, this horrific tale of mutation and rebellion has a lot going for it… though you may need to watch this.